Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena

Unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) is the term U.S. law uses for things spotted in the sky, underwater, or traveling through both that can't be quickly identified. The definition covers three categories: airborne objects, objects that move between air and water (called transmedium), and submerged objects that behave in ways suggesting a link to the airborne ones. Congress and federal agencies use this term across a wide range of bills, hearings, and offices.

Who defined this term and where does it come from?

The definition appears in federal law and is used throughout legislation from the 118th and 119th Congresses. Multiple National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs), which are the annual laws that set rules and budgets for the U.S. military, use this exact wording. Congress also created the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) specifically to investigate UAP.

What does the definition actually cover?

The law breaks UAP into three groups. The first is airborne objects that are not immediately identifiable. The second is transmedium objects, meaning things that appear to move through more than one environment, like air and water. The third is submerged objects that can't be identified and that behave in ways suggesting they may be connected to the airborne objects. The definition does not cover objects that are quickly and clearly identified.

How do government records actually use this term?

Records use UAP across many contexts. Congressional hearings have examined UAP implications for national security, public safety, and government transparency. Bills have proposed FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) reporting procedures for UAP incidents, public release of UAP records, and a UAP Records Collection at the National Archives. Funding laws have placed limits on spending tied to UAP programs that haven't been reported to Congress.

What government bodies are involved?

AAR0 sits inside the Department of Defense and was established by Congress to centralize UAP investigation. The Director of National Intelligence, the FAA, and the Comptroller General have all been assigned UAP-related duties in various bills. One provision in the SOURCE explicitly bars creating a second centralized UAP office inside the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.